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A novel way to restore color to hands

  1. sheepdoll Feb 26, 2023

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    Years ago I used a laser toner system to attempt to restore some watch dials with mixed results. https://omegaforums.net/threads/dialing-with-postscript.148466/

    I still have this kit.

    As I have returned to working with the chronographs, I found that some of the hands have become rusted and discolored. The transfer kit came with a lot of foil colors. I was going to link to the place where I got them only to find they are no longer available from that supplier. Similar foils may be available in crafts stores.

    I did not document the process as I went. Some of the things did not work. So lets start with the result of the completed hand on a scrap dial.

    IMG_3915.png

    The hand started life as a scrap hand and was somewhat rusted not unlike the Val-72 hands that may be the eventual target of this experiment.

    IMG_3821.png

    The hand was sanded with fine sandpaper and lapped on glass using a screw head polisher and a taper pin. Which can also double as a stand for working on the hand. These shows the post foiled hand being lumed.

    IMG_3911.png

    Before using the toner transfer I experimented with different glues such as barge cement, spray adhesive and double sided tape. These basically made a mess and stuck across the lume opening.

    I no longer have a toner based laser printer. I did notice when I got the foils from the kit, that there were some sample runs with black boarders. I got the idea that perhaps I could use a small iron (for working on doll clothes and other fine cloth work.) That I could transfer the toner from a scrap then float the decal paper off. IMG_3909.png

    IMG_3916.png
    I used some feld backing from camera light seal to iron the hand against. The toner stuck to the hand and the transfer paper washed away. Inverting the hand onto the foil and pressing it transferred the foil to the hand.

    The hand was lumed as shown above.

    I chose to use the blue paint (and keep the yellow green glitter.) As I wanted to try a different color combinaton.

    The results are most pleasing. The macro setting on the phone does not capture how it really looks to the eye.

    It does however give a simple way to clean up a hand. The foils come in a lot of different colors. So this also gives the opportunity to be able to change the color of a hand.

    It is too bad the one supplier is shutting down. I think though that the materials remain available in craft stores. I would not recommend using such on a really valuable watch, but It seems a good way to clean up some of the junkers I have collected over the years.